View full sizeBruce Ely/The OregonianThe Trail Blazers and owner Paul Allen need to decide who the next Blazers general manager will be before the NBA lockout ends..

The executives charged with conducting the latest round of job interviews at One Center Court believe there are a plenty of options available to the Trail Blazers when it comes to filling their vacant general manager position.

They're encouraged.

Great, hire someone. And do it soon.

The Blazers have reportedly expressed interest in former Golden State general manager Chris Mullin, and also, in Spurs assistant GM Dennis Lindsey. Also, Oklahoma City's Troy Weaver apparently interviewed for the position vacated after Portland fired Weaver's mentor, Rich Cho, who was discovered to be too awkward to work with the social butterfly known also known as Paul Allen.

The whisper now is that San Antonio, which granted Portland permission to interview Lindsey, is growing impatient with the process and will soon close that window. Also, there's growing activity around the league behind the scenes that has me thinking Portland better soon get someone in the big chair at the practice facility.

Two NBA sources told me Tuesday that they believe there's consensus among owners on a few important lockout issues. One of those issues being an amnesty clause that would give NBA teams the ability to release one player, pay his salary, take no luxury tax liability, and also, not have that player count against the season salary cap.

This is different than the last round of amnesty, which didn't give the cap relief. And if true, it would likely allow Portland to strongly consider releasing three-time All-Star Brandon Roy, creating an additional $15 million in cap relief next season. The Blazers need a general manager in the chair now if they're going to fully maximize the advantages of making such a powerful play.

Who knows when the lockout will end. But when it does, free agency will be a free-for-all waged in short time period, as recently with the NFL. Teams have to be ready to move fast. That's especially true for Portland, which faces some difficult decisions involving high-profile players.

Let's not kid ourselves.

Roy can still play. But he's not the cornerstone player that he once was. I'm not ready to give up on the guy as an NBA player. He can still help someone in the league win games, but if the Blazers can get full cap relief on his maximum-contract salary, well, it's a painful move that must be made.

Keep an eye on that development.

Greg Oden, meanwhile, feels like he'll sign the qualifying offer from the Blazers, play one season, then become and unrestricted free agent. He's not dumb. Oden holds all the leverage now, mostly because the Blazers handed it to him when they foolishly failed to extend his rookie contract.

What we're talking about really, is an organization that once believed it was headed somewhere great having to come to grips with the notion that it's really starting over again. An amnesty deal will be part of that.

So hire someone competent, Portland. Hire them quickly. And let the guy go to work.

The Blazers interview process has been puzzling. Mullin isn't the right hire. Neither is Weaver. But Lindsey is a legitimate general manager, if that's what Portland really wants to hire.

So do they?

Because those interviewing for the job are busy calling around, asking what it's like to work with the billionaire owner Allen, and president Larry Miller, and vice president Sarah Mensah. They want to know, too, who Bert Kolde is and how he'll factor in decision-making, and they should want to know -- Kolde has been in on at least one round of interviews.

GM candidate: "Am I answering to Miller? Kolde? Sarah? Paul?"

No telling, pal.

You're asking the right question, though. This is an organization that feels disjointed and distracted even as it insists there's unity in the front office. Cho, already re-hired by Charlotte, could tell you so. So could former GM Kevin Pritchard, who said a full year after the act that he still hadn't been told why exactly he was fired.

Those guys will tell the new guy, "Watch your back."

So yeah. Lindsey feels like the right choice. The best hire, really. But will the Blazers wait so long to make a move that the Spurs withdraw their permission?

There are a line of other less qualified and less dynamic candidates who would love to have the job. People who would nod a lot and tell Allen how brilliant he is. But none of them have Lindsey's experience, connections or ability to sell Allen on moves that need to be made. Lindsey has real qualifications, including a good eye for talent and good presence. He may be the only legitimate candidate available to the Blazers. But he's probably terrified by what he's seen the organization do to GMs in the last decade.

From Bob Whitsitt to John Nash to Steve Patterson to Pritchard to Cho and back, the Blazers change the faces and philosophies. But mostly feel like they're guessing and trying to blow up careers for amusement. When you look closely at how Allen has shed the last two GMs, you settle on the thought that anyone foolish enough to take the job couldn't possibly be a good hire.

Call it the "Allen Tax," but Portland will have to overpay to get the right guy to say "yes" to their GM offer. Bank on that.

The lockout probably doesn't end soon. But when it does, Portland is going to need a competent basketball person in the job of general manager.

It's why I'm hoping they offer the gig to Lindsey. And that he somehow accepts. I'm hoping, yup.